07/13/2025
On this date in 1955, at "six o'clock in the afternoon", or so it said on the invitation to Walt & Lillian Disney's "Tempus Fugit Celebration", the couple invited 300 of their closest friends to Disneyland just four days before it opened to celebrate their 30th wedding anniversary! ❤️
Disney Legend Admiral Joe Fowler was impatiently waiting for the horse drawn carriages to arrive at the Mark Twain's dock in Frontierland. He had walked from the big, wooden Frontierland entrance gate at the Hub to the dock, just a few minutes before 6:00, and he saw a woman in a dress frantically sweeping the deck of the ship. As he got closer, he saw it was actually Lillian Disney. She told him to grab a broom, as the Mark Twain was filthy with construction debris and was not ready for guests. Admiral Fowler and Lilly finished cleaning the deck just as the first guests started making their way down the beautifully lit, brand new Main Street USA.
Once all guests were on board, the Mark Twain's whistle gave a warning, and the ship made its "Maiden Voyage" around the Rivers of America with Walt, Lillian, and all of their closest friends and family. A jazz band played New Orleans style music as the ship made its way around Tom Sawyer Island. Waiters walked around the ship, handing out mint juleps (with alcohol) to guests. Walt himself had a couple of drinks, and then a couple more during dinner and the show that followed at the Golden Horseshoe. 🥂
Toward the end of the show, there was an entire finale where Pecos Bill would shoot off his "guns" in the theater. All of a sudden, someone pointed to the balcony, and there was Walt, pointing his finger guns back at Pecos Bill! He then decided he wanted to be on the stage, so Walt apparently hung off the balcony and lowered himself down, making it to the stage without injuring himself. He was exhausted from the months he had put in to make his dream happen, and he just stood there, beaming, smiling at the crowd. The crowd started chanting, "Speech! Speech!" thinking it was a good opportunity for him to say something, but Walt didn't. He just smiled. 😀
After the party was over, Walt's family did not want him driving home. Whether it was the mint juleps or just pure exhaustion and adrenaline, they didn't think it was a good idea. Walt was a proud guy and they totally expected him to fire back at them but he didn't. His daughter, Diane, said he actually got in the back of his car, rolled up some Disneyland blueprints, and starting singing into her ear and playing it like a trumpet. After a few minutes, her dad was quiet. She looked in the backseat and there was Walt Disney, asleep, with his blueprint trumpet still in his folded arms. ❤️🏰❤️
This one is from one of the late Jim Korkis's books. If you don't know Jim's stuff, he was probably the most prolific writer there has been about Walt and Disneyland over the last 20 or so years. Check out his stuff!! Thank you again so much for reading this one and have a fantastic rest of your weekend!! 🙏❤️🙏
